As Kejriwal govt leaves people to their fate, rains bring respite to Delhiites

New Delhi: Light to moderate rainfall occurred across Delhi and NCR on Monday evening which is set to bring respite from high pollution levels due to stubble burning in Punjab and other adjoining states.

Earlier on Monday, Delhi's air quality inched closer to the 'severe' category with calm winds and cloudy conditions trapping pollutants, according to monitoring agencies.

A thick layer of smog blanketed Delhi and its suburbs, reducing visibility to just 600 metres at 8 am at the Safdarjung Observatory, the national capital's primary weather station. The visibility was 800 metres at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

An official at the India Meteorological Department had predicted a slight increase in wind speed and light rainfall.

Delhi's air quality index (AQI) stood at 400 at 9 am.

The national capital has recorded 10 severe air quality days this November so far.  

The city recorded just three severe air quality days in November last year, while it experienced 12 such days in 2021, the maximum in the month since the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) began monitoring.

There were nine such days in November 2020, seven in 2019; five in 2018; seven in 2017; 10 in 2016, and six in 2015, according to CPCB.

According to a joint project by the Delhi government and the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, biomass burning was the top reason for Delhi's foul air, contributing 31 to 51 per cent to the capital's air pollution in the last few days.

Leaving Delhiites on the mercy of rains, Arvind Kejriwal government has been directing agencies and departments concerned to ensure strict implementation of curbs on polluting vehicles and check the increasing incidents of biomass burning.